Big Bear

I started this post to show you Big Bear and then the flood came! In a matter of minutes we had water everywhere. That steady stream running across the picture is water running OVER my gutter. My gutter is just worthless. It makes me really mad every time it rains. Tried to tell the gutter man that we needed larger gutter due to the pitch of the roof but NO he did what he wanted and it is a waste.






















OK back to Big Bear. My husband was on a hunting trip in Colorado and saw a man making the neatest bear carvings on the side of the road. He stopped to ask about buying one of the bears and he said they were sold but he could make him one in one hour. He did not believe him. The man said go get some lunch, come back and I'll have you one. Well 55 minutes later he had Big Bear done. The amazing part of this is he makes them out of ponderosa pine trees with a chain saw!!! Big Bear is one piece of wood.....that was one big tree...I can't even move him. We pressure wash him occasionally and then I paint him with linseed oil.
















The next year he came home with Little Bear. And from then on the man was not there. I think he retired with all the money he was making per hour....wow He sure was talented with that chain saw!


















Have a good evening all.

Feed The Fish!

See the water rippling? When we drive the 4Wheeler on the levy the fish start swimming to the spot where we feed. These guys are hungry!














They can eat the food as fast as you can throw it out!













I think they want to eat out of my hand!!!














Pack your gear and come fishing at my house!
I am sure we have more than enough fish for everyone!
I'll be looking for you!
Have a good evening all!

Many thanks to Marty39 at A Stroll Thru Life and Tasha at Biology Gal for giving me these awards. I never expected anyone to actually read my blog when I decided to give it a try, and am thrilled when you do and love when you leave a comment. If you have not visited these two sweet ladies blogs, I hope that you will.

























The goals of these awards are :

To be passed on to new blogs or friends that you've discovered.

1)As a dedication for those who love blogging and love to encourage friendships through blogging.
2)To seek the reasons why we all love blogging.
3)Put the award in one post as soon as you receive it.
4)Don't forget to mention the person who gives you the award.
5)Answer the awards question by writing the reason why you love blogging.
6)Tag and distribute the award to as many people as you like.
7)Don't forget to notify the award receivers and put their links in your post.

The reasons I love blogging is:

I love sharing tips on every imaginable subject; cleaning, shopping, gardening, to name a few. I love reading and trying your favorite recipes. I love that bloggers really care about our pets, our families and each other. We share our favorite books , TV shows and vacation locations.

I would like to pass these awards on to my new friends who have warmed my heart, inspire me with their talents and start my day with a smile;

Nikki @ Blah, Blah, Blah, Blog
Linda @ Lindanjake
Jill @Life at Killeny Glenn
Betsy @ My Five Men
Patty @ Old Lady Lincoln
Stevy @ The Rest is Still Unwritten

I hope you all have a good evening!

Now For The Shacks!

This cute little guy could be seen on the couch or on the steps of all the shacks. Doesn't he look like the perfect dog to be living here? He was so sweet.



These shacks stay booked for months in advance and the largest majority of reservations are made by Europeans!! They love this place and the Blues. The owner said so many of the guests can't speak English but they can sing the blues.

Highways 61 & 49 intersect to form "The Crossroads" at Clarksdale. this intersection has a major place in the history of the Blues.



This shack with screened in porch is rumored to be the BEST! I didn't go in it but wanted to.




I wonder about Electric? Maybe it was the first one to have electricity.




This is the housekeeping shack, complete with clothesline. I did see sheets on the line. Haven't seen that in a long time.




This building (kind of a general store) was so interesting, just full of old books, records, posters, barber chair and this awesome sign over the bar.






It's been a long time since I had a weekend that was so unusual that I said "Wow". These people have taken buildings, furniture, equipment and just "stuff" that most would burn to the ground and turned it into a popular attraction. They are friendly, warm and gracious people. If you are ever in that part of the country I highly recommend that you spend a night at The Shack Up Inn. You won't regret it.

I'll leave you with two more shacks and the last picture is the backside of the inn complete with patio.






Have a good evening all.

What a Weekend!

Bet you have never heard of the Shack Up Inn! Neither had I until recently, when friends of ours asked us to meet them in Clarksdale, MS for a weekend. This Inn is located on the site of the Hopson Plantation and is like going back in time. They took a cotton gin and turned it into a two story Inn.







Do we look out of place in this parking lot??? I'm thinking yes, and I am also glad that I know the way home. But I shouldn't have judged this place so quickly cause it is an awesome place to have a great weekend. By the way, I am in the car and my husband rode the bike. I don't do bikes but I will follow along for the view/ha
Let me show you the inside of the rooms, take the stairs which are the inside of a silo to the second floor, go down the hallway to our room......









The walls of the hallway are made of corrugated tin as is the ceiling of the room, see the awesome fan(if I had one request it would be for a fan) The headboard of the bed is an old door, pretty clever uh?











We had a beautiful sunset on Friday evening! I have so much more to show you, but my computer is not cooperating. Tomorrow I will share the shacks with you. Unbelievable!















From the website of Shack Up Inn:



the Ritz we ain't
Blues lovers making the pilgrimage to the cradle of the blues, the Mississippi Delta, should not miss the unique opportunity to experience Hopson Plantation, located only three miles from the legendary Crossroads, Highways 49 and 61, in Clarksdale. Immerse yourself in the living history you will find at Hopson. Virtually unchanged from when it was a working plantation, you will find authentic sharecropper shacks, the original cotton gin and seed houses and other outbuildings. You will glimpse plantation life as it existed only a few short years ago. In addition, you will find one of the first mechanized cotton pickers, manufactured by International Harvester, as you stroll around the compound. Spend an evening enjoying live music at Ground Zero Blues Club or Red's Lounge, on the corner of Sunflower and MLK street and then pass out in one of the renovated shotgun shacks or one of the newly renovated bins in the Cotton Gin Inn. Their corrugated tin roofs and Mississippi cypress walls will conjure visions of a bygone era. Restored only enough to accommodate 21st century expectations (indoor bathrooms, heat, air conditioning, coffee maker with condiments, refrigerators and microwave in all the units), the shacks provide comfort as well as authenticity.

Love My New Nozzle

It doesn't take much to make me happy, but my new nozzle is awesome! I bought it at Sam's and I am so glad I didn't pass this one up. Cost under $10! I hate it when I throw the hose on the ground and it lands on the handle (always) and sprays all over me. This one you pull back to turn the water on and you can throw it and the water doesn't come on/ha. Looks like a fire hose doesn't it? Heavy duty too!

It was so hot today that I got out the nozzle and washed the car. I tried sitting in my lounge chair, relaxing, and reading but after 30 minutes, I thought I was gonna be sick it was so hot. Nothing like some cool water with the hot sun..my time of year is here. It went from cold to oh my gosh I can't stand the heat, overnight.
That's ok though I am not complaining!

Got to fire the grill up so have a good evening all!

Let's Talk Okra

Fried Okra, doesn't get much better! Notice the package, product of Mexico, packaged in MN, shipped to Arkansas and on my table,,,still fresh and tasty! I would like to commend everyone involved in this process!

Paula Deen has a recipe, which I cannot find to post for you, but she said to drizzle in buttermilk, coat with salt, pepper and meal then fry...Yes! I highly recommend her recipe!

Have a good evening all and Vote For Kris!!!!

Hosta

I love my hostas! If I had divided them as you should, I could have made a beautiful large bed! I intend to separate them every year and all of a sudden they have grown to a point that I hate to dig them up and risk losing them. Do you have hostas? Do you separate them? My dad and his wife started with one hosta and divided them every year and ended up with a beautiful bed that lined the fence in their backyard.


Taken from Hosta Society:

Hostas are easy to grow, shade tolerant, herbaceous perennials. Hostas are grown mainly for their beautiful foliage. Hosta leaves come in a wide range of shapes, colors, sizes, and textures. One common name for Hosta still used in some garden centers is Plantain Lily. Hostas are sometimes still referred to as Funkia. But the real name for hosta is Hosta.

Hostas are native to Japan, Korea, and China. They were first imported and grown in Europe in the late 1700’s. By the mid-1800’s hosta were growing in the United States.

Have a good day all!

My New Magazine!

Boy was I surprised when I received my first copy of Everyday Food, Martha's new magazine. It is readers digest size! Interesting! Haven't read it yet, I'll let you know if it is worth the purchase, later. It will be easy to forward to my daughter, being so small. We share magazines and I haven't found the right size envelope to mail RR's to her. It is a bit over sized.



Sky is trying to clear, some blue appearing. I am going out to experiment with my camera (again)

Have a good day all!

Saturday!!!

I can't believe it is Saturday already! The weeks just fly by! Have a good weekend all! It's foggy and rainy here.

Mom's Tuna Fish

Don't you just love tuna fish sandwiches? I decided to skip the bread today and have it on a bed of lettuce. There are two things missing from this lunch, fresh tomatoes and sliced cucumbers! That would have made it all complete. My mom made the best tuna fish. Her secret ingredient was an apple! I always chop an apple in mine and it gives it a flavor I love. When I was in the first grade I remember my teacher asking me everyday what I brought in my lunch. If it was tuna she would beg to trade sandwiches, of course I would. She loved mom's tuna fish. I guess you could say that was back in the good ole days when you could safely trade sandwiches with your teacher.

Mom's Tuna
2 cans tuna
2 boiled eggs
2 T mayo (I use miracle whip)
3 Heaping T. sweet pickle relish, drained
1 Apple
Enjoy!

Back to the yard,,,still planting flowers. I have gone back to Lowe's twice for more potting soil. I never learn to buy several bags at a time. I'm talking those huge bags, heavy!

Have a good day all!

A Day at the Nursery!

The weather has finally warmed up enough for me to make my annual visit to the nursery. This nursery is back in the country about 20 miles from my house. They sell to Wal Mart, Lowes, etc. but I can cut out the middle man by making a visit in person. I love this trip but it is so hard to decide which plants to buy. For instance:
Would you choose impatiens?..or a sunflower?












They also had a wonderful selection of hanging baskets,









I finally decided on 2 ferns, 2 hanging baskets, and a flat of misc.








Tomorrow it is flower pots, miracle grow and hands in the dirt!!
I do love spring, almost as much as summer!

I almost forgot, I saw one butterfly in the nursery, I think he has found a home!





It was a fun day, hope you all are having fun too!